A! MAZEing Love!
by Ranma Inverse
Summary: R for love between siblings. This fic deals with Mei and Akira's past..BEFORE the anime happened, read and review if you want more chapters, please!
1. Chapter One

A! Mazing Love!

A! Mazing Love!   
by Ranma Inverse ^_^

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Author's notes: There's too little Maze fics! I looooove love love love LOVE Maze: Mega Burst Space, while I don't really like the OVA..but hey, Male maze sang the opening to the ova (I think...) so it ain't that bad. .;; But still! Just one comment before writing this....review if you want more chapters! And Seki Tomokazu rules!^__^_

_Oh yeah! This fic starts when Mei is five and Akira is six, early childhood. This fanfic deals with the two characters past, it will end when it finally reaches the beginning of the Maze: Mega Burst Space series. This fic is rated R to be careful because this deals with how Akira and Mei fell in love...erm..yeah..and they're brother-sister, so that's why it's rated R. ^^;_   
. . .   


"You sure you don't want a haircut?" Their father asked them. The two children shook their heads. Mei smiled happily. 

"I'm going to grow my hair long to be like Onichan(1)!" Mei said, looking to her older brother. Akira looked up at his father and gave a shrug, then smiled down at Mei. Their father waved a hand dismissively. 

"Very well, you can go play now." The two children cheered at his words and ran out the door. 

. . . 

"Why does Otousan(2) always look so busy?" Mei looked up at Akira, who shook his head. 

"I don't know, why does Mei always call me Onichan instead of Akira?" He pointed at her and smiled, both still running through their home, trying to see who'd tire out first. 

"Because I'm happy to have Akira as my Onichan!" Mei said, finally tiring and stopping. Akira noticed this and smiled widely, running faster and going to hide. 

Mei caught her breath and looked around. "Onichan? Onichan!" She crawled under the table, looking around and crawled out from under it on the other end, looking through the dining room. "Onichan?" She left the dining room and entered the living room, searching behind the couch. Akira grinned and ran out from behind a bookshelf, running up the stairs and into Mei's bedroom, climbing under the purple bed. 

Mei saw him run up the stairs and had followed him up, but he was faster than her and had gotten out of her sight before she had gotten to the top of the stairs. She ran to Akira's bedroom and checked there, then checked their father's bedroom, and then went to her own, beginning to sniffle and sat on her bed, trying to keep in tears. "O-" Sniff. "Onichan disappeared 'cause he doesn't," Another sniffle, "like me.." 

Akira poked his head out from under the bed, lying on his back and blinking up at her. "No, I was just hiding here until you found me!" He grinned. "Don't cry!" 

Mei blinked down at him, the last tear landing on Akira's cheek, and then smiled. "Onichan!" As Akira wiped the tear off his face and sat up away from the bed, Mei jumped off it and went to him, giving him a hug. "Onichan! I thought you'd gone and left me and Otousan all alone!" She held him tightly, and Akira laughed. 

"I'd never leave you, Mei! You're my Oneechan(3)!" Akira smiled, "now let go of me." Mei did as she was told and smiled up at him. He wrapped his hand around hers and ran out of Mei's bedroom, beginning to play once again. 

-- 

Um..that was short, I know...but I wanna know if people want me to continue! ^^;   



	2. Chapter Two

AMazingLoveTwo

A! Mazing Love!   
by Ranma Inverse ^_^   
_part two_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Author's notes: Wai~! Five reviews! Happyyy~! n.n Thank you for reviewing, readers!_

_Remember, this might be different because i've only seen up to episode nineteen. Please excuse any differences. And.._   
_I know, Akira was the one their father didn't really pay attention to. Mei was the one he favored. Just wait..wait, and all will be revealed. Not in this chapter, though. ^.~___

_Warning: The following chapters will have some angst in them. Discretion is advised. People under the age of 11 should not read this._   
...   
previously used japanese words:   
(1) - Onichan = Older brother/brother (I think! ^-^;)   
(2) - Otousan = Father   
(3) - Oneechan = Sister/Older sister.   
...   
_(half a year or so later...)_   
Tears sprung out of little Mei's eyes. "You mean...I can't go with Onichan?" Their father frowned. 

Akira blinked and smiled proudly. "Mei, I have to go, that way I'll get to be better than you so I can always make sure you're okay!" He layed a hand on Mei's shoulder. 

"B-but I wanna be just as good as you! I don't want to be all alone at home without you! It'll be boooriing!" Mei was picked up by her father as he pushed Akira out of the door. Akira stared at the closed door, then pressed his ears to it to listen. 

"But father, I wanna go with Onichan..." 

"It's good that you like your brother so much...but you have to let him be. You'll become a burden and a bother to him someday if you don't leave him be sometimes." At this Akira frowned. 

"But..he wouldn't think that! I'm his little sister!" 

"Which increases the fact that you and he will fight eventually..and if you keep bothering him you'll become a burden." 

"...I don't wanna bother Onenichan.." The voice seemed even more sad, more quiet than before. Akira clenched his tiny fists together. Why couldn't his father stop hurting Mei's feelings? Mei wasn't cared for by him. Their father treated Mei like she wasn't even there, unless he specifically called for her to come into his office. 

Akira turned his back to the door. He'd talk to his father later. He grabbed his bookbag tightly, and then ran down the street heading for his school. 

. . . 

When Akira came home, he found a vase broken and a small trail of blood on floor, blending in with the red of the carpet in the living room. His eyes widened and he ran upstairs, following the tiny trail of blood, which led through his sister's bedroom. Mei's bedroom door was closed and locked. Akira pressed his ear to the door and heard sobs. He knocked on the door, worried. "Mei? It's Akira...open the door." 

The sobs stopped and there was deafening silence. Akira blinked as a the click of the lock was heard and the door opened a crack. Through it, one of Mei's eyes looked through and what was seen in them shocked a boy his age. Terror and sorrow. "Mei, what's wrong?" His voice filled with an elder brother's concern. Mei sniffed and let him in, then locked her door again. 

When Mei turned to face him, she looked down at the floor. Her tiny right hand clutched her left arm tightly. Akira wrapped his arms around her as she began to sob again. "Mei, what's wrong?" He repeated softly. 

"I asked Mrs. Berley if I could help her clean the house..and I dropped father's vase. It went to pieces and I got scratched. Mrs. Berley told Father and he was mad. He yelled at me..." She said through sobs. Akira held her closer. 

"What else did he do, Mei?" 

"I told him I didn't mean to do it and he hit me. I ran upstairs and he followed me...he grabbed me and threw me into my room. He shook me and told me not to be so clumsy and stupid around important stuff. I said I'd try not to do it again and he said it wasn't good enough...he shoved me into the wall again and left. When my arm stopped hurting so much I locked my door..." Mei leaned into her brother and let out a whisper. "...I was so scared..." 

Akira picked his sister up with ease and set her on her bed. "Where did he throw you?" He looked around and saw part of the carpet near a wall had blood on it. His eyes widened and darted back to Mei. "Father hurt you..." He frowned, his eyes narrowed and anger flowed through him. How could Father have done this to his sister? How could he? 

He climbed onto the bed after checking to make sure the door was locked. He looked at the arm Mei was so preciously clutching. "Mei..can I see your arm?" She nodded and let go of her arm. She flinched and Akira saw the trickle of blood running down it and onto the bed. It wasn't bad, but... Akira's eyes filled with anger and protectiveness that a brother would rightfully, should rightfully hold when seeing a sister like this. 

His hand reached down and lightly lifted her off the bed. He jumped down off it with ease and unlocked the door with one hand. Mei knelt her head on his shoulder as he walked out and carried her carefully down the steps. "Onenichan..you're so strong." Akira blushed as a six year old boy would when complemented, and smiled at her confidently. 

"I'm gonna get stronger though, Mei! Because i'm gonna protect you from Father. From Father, Mrs. Berley, and anyone else who tries to hurt you." 

"Only Father's hit me..he won't do it again. I'm his daughter, so he loves me and does what's best for me. He hit me to make me remember what I did was wrong-" 

"No, Mei! I'm a man now, I go to school! They told me Father's aren't supposed to do that!" 

Mei flinched at his loud words. Akira softened. "I'm sorry Mei...but...here." When he reached a chair in the kitchen, he set her there and got the first aid kit. Mei blinked as he took out a roll of bandage and began wrapping it gently around her arm. Firmly, but gently, he fixed the bandage up and stood up on his tiptoes to kiss his sister on the cheek. 

She blushed and wrapped her arms around him, sliding off the chair. "Thank you so much, Onenichan! I love you!" Akira's younger-by-a-year sister smiled happily and gave him a kiss on the cheek in return. "You hafta be the best onenichan in the whole world.." Her words became quieter and quieter, until heavy, sleepy eyelids closed and she slumped in her brother's hug. 

"Mei? Mei?" He blinked and smiled as he realized she had fallen asleep. He carried her back upstairs with ease and set her down on her bed, tucking her under the sheets and making sure there was a contented smile on her angelic, innocent face. Akira brushed the bangs away from her face, then noticed the time and went to bed, but did not fall asleep until he heard his Father's bedroom door shut, and that there were no sounds of pain or nightmares from Mei. 

His Father had hurt Mei. He would never forgive him. 

--- 

Like it? ^^ Please review and i'll make another chapter soon! Gomen for it taking so long to come out!   



	3. Chapter Three

AMazingLoveThree 

A! Mazing Love!   
by Ranma Inverse ^_^   
_part three_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Author's notes: Only two reviews? T.T Oh well...Thank you, those who reviewed. ^.~ Please review when you have something to say about a chapter. n.n I love reviews and I especially like to hear if someone liked a certain part of it alot or if they're slightly confused on a part so that I can explain it, or rewrite that part. ^^; Making it better._

_Oh..I expect more Maze fics to come out! T.T Pleeeaaase?_   
_. . ._   
Hai - Yes, alright, okay.   
. . .   


"Otousan!" Akira growled, looking much older than his actual seven years. He had finally gathered the courage to face his father. Mei stood behind him, wide-eyed with a large, dark bruise on one of her fragile cheeks. 

"You have to stop it! You're hurting Mei!" Akira yelled. Their father looked at him disdainfully. 

"That's how you should treat a child that needs to learn to not be so clumsy." 

"Clumsy? She rarely ever trips over anything, you don't catch her running into walls, she's never spaced out while walking...how can you call her clumsy?" 

Their father sat down into a comfortable chair and Mei tightened her grip on Akira's shoulder, leaning into him in fright. Akira narrowed his eyes and spoke up again, "If you hurt her again...i'll hurt you. After I hurt you...I'll tell the cops about you hurting Mei!" 

His hand's tightened, but their father's face remained calm. "Who would believe a boy-child like you?" He looked at his watch, "I have a business trip i'm going on and I won't be back for about a year. I expect the house to be the way I left it when I come back." He looked at Mei. 

"...H-hai...Otousan", Mei forced out. 

. . . 

Their father shut the door, and so Akira and Mei rushed to the nearest window and peered out of it to see when he left. Once he had, Akira turned to his sister and hugged her tight. 

"One whole year without that old fart!" 

Mei giggled quietly and slowly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned her head onto his shoulder. As children, neither found this a gross or more than an affectionate brother to sister hug, but someday...that would change. 

Mature for a seven and six year old, yet still so innocent... 

Mei smiled up at her older brother as she released her hold on him. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder and stepped back, giggling softly. "Tag, you're it!" She then turned and ran as fast as her tiny feet would take her. 

"Hey! No fair, you got a head start!" Akira grinned and ran after her. 

. . . 

This is an extremely short chapter. -.-() I'll do my best to make the next one longer! I already have all of this story in my head!


	4. Chapter Four

A! Mazing Love!   
by Ranma Inverse ^_^   
_part four_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Author's notes: Thank you, those who reviewed! I appreciate it alot! Please review this part too! ^^;_   
-WATCH OUT! Bad language and..a little bit more dark/angsty now.- Remember though, All my stories have happy endings! ^_^;;   
_. . ._   


_A few years later..._

"What did you say?!" A now thirteen-year-old Akira yelled at a group of boys at the back of the school grounds. The tallest boy out of the three cornering him smirked and crossed his arms. 

"You heard me. Your little sister's a slut! And what's with you? You look like a girl. Why do you and your sister keep your hair so long? Is it because you wanna be just like your sister? You wanna be a little slut like her? Or is it the fact that your sister is also a lesbian and ya wanna make her think you're a girl too?" 

Akira growled and clenched his fists. "I can take insults about me, but...if you say one more thing..about Mei.." 

"The slut? That reminds me, she's really good-lookin, eh guys? Maybe we should take her to our house tonight.." The leader of the trio looked to his two friends, who snickered. 

Akira let out a cry of anger and tackled the leader. The boy-leader's friends pounced Akira. For someone's first fight, Akira did pretty well although even someone like him could not win his first fight in a three vs. one battle. He lost. 

He went through the rest of the school day avoiding Mei, but knew he couldn't avoid her when they got home. 

. . . 

As predicted, when he came through the doorway in a messed up, dirty and slightly torn school uniform with a cut lip, bruises and a swollen eye, his little sister showed concern almost immediately. 

"Oniiichaa--" She stopped her cheerful welcome home and ran to him. "Oh my god! Akira, what happened?" She reached out to gently touch a bruise. Akira flinched slightly as he felt the featherlight touch, but kept his gaze on his sister. 

"I got into a fight." He said trying to keep his voice normal, but the protectiveness came through . Mei smiled sadly and shook her head. 

"Why did you get into a fight?" Before he could answer her question, she had taken his hand and headed him over to a chair and pulled out a first aid kit from underneath it. Mei opened it up and took out some salve for infection and some bandaids. She smiled. "Akira, you wouldn't fight without a reason. Whatever it was, I hope it was an important one." She rubbed some salve on his cuts and then put bandaids over them. 

_A very important reason,_ Akira thought. _You're important._

His sister smiled when she was done and hugged him. "Oniichan, I'm glad you didn't get hurt worse than you did.." At this, Akira smiled back and returned the hug. She looked up at him. 

"Father's coming home from another one of his 'business trips'." Mei looked slightly afraid, but spoke with a small ammount of bravery. "I hope he only stays a day or two like usual, to see if "everything's in order". I wish he didn't have to _ever_ come home. Ever since he dismissed Mrs. Berley we've done fine on our own..." 

Akira's grip around her tightened slightly, protectively. "I know. I wish it too." 

Mei smiled. "Well, I'm gonna get started on my homework. If you need any help, you can ask." 

It didn't take long before a knock on her door resounded. She stiffled a giggle and opened up the door. Akira stood there holding his school books with a confused, embarrassed look upon his face. "Uhm...you're always better than me at mathmatics and stuff..." He mumbled and he sat down next to her. 

"Alright, which problem are you having trouble on?" 

"All of them!" Akira blurted out, scratching the back of his head. Mei did giggle this time. He looked at her, "I don't get how to do any of these." 

"It's 'I don't know how to do any of them', Oniichan." 

"Oi..alright, alright." Her brother grumbled, but had a smile on his face. She leaned over his schoolwork and noticed the problem. 

"I see what you're doing wrong! You're supposed to have x over y and _then_ times it by 25c." Mei pointed out, and Akira blinked. Leaning over her shoulder he looked over it once more and wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders. 

"Thanks, Mei! Now, about this part..." 

Mei giggled and pointed. "Here you put that over this, then times that by that..." Akira smiled as he listened to her words. She was smarter than him, and he was a year older than her. He should've been jealous, but he felt happy. He caught the scent of her hair and breathed in it's pleasent arouma. 

If only their days could be like this forever. . . 

. . . But he didn't realize the emotion that was beginning to form between them. An emotion that could either bring them to heaven...or hell. The question is, however, which way will they go? 

. . . 

Just in case someone mistakes the last bit, no, I don't mean heaven and hell by saying "incest is a sin" o.O; In my opinion...love is love. I don't care who or how someone is. o.o; Love is love. Pure and simple. I mean heaven and hell by saying...will they let other people's opinion strike them down? Or will they ignore them...and admit how they feel? 


	5. Chapter Five

A! Mazing Love!   
by Ranma Inverse ^_^   
_part five_

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_Author's notes: Yaay! I'm so glad you people still like this fic! I'll keep writing~!_   
_. . ._

The two siblings stared at their father as he inspected the house. "Y'think something's wrong...?" Akira whispered to his sister, who shook her head, her eyes not leaving the man they had to call 'father'. 

"I don't think so..." 

"Quiet!" Their father snapped. The two quieted quickly, the older with a look of anger, the younger with a look of fear. He turned to them, holding up the first aid kit he had pulled out from under the chair Mei had decided to keep it. "Why has it been used lately?" He glared at his children suspiciously. 

Mei's eyes widened in the instinctive fear towards her father and she bowed to him as a servant would to their feared overlord. "I-I'm sorry. Akira got hurt in a fight-" 

The man turned to face Akira. "Why, my boy, did you get into a fight?" 

He despised the mention of his relation to their father. Akira glared up at him. "Because." He didn't have to answer to a man who though older than he, did not recognize the words 'home', 'love' and 'family'. This man before him new only one thing. What he wanted, and how to make other's lives hell until he got it. 

"Because is not a reason. Tell me why you got into that fight." 

"I don't have to answer to you! You hurt Mei! You think i'll ever forget that? You don't deserve to be her father!" He wrapped an arm protectively around her younger sister, who trembled at the yelling. 

Their father clenched his fist and raised it...then restrained himself and turned away. "I would forget this discussion, and I recommend you would as well. Everything is in order here except for that...one, situation, and so I think I may leave earlier than normal. I will be leaving tonight." He went upstairs to his room without a second thought of the two behind him. 

Mei let out a fearful breath she had been holding, clutched her thirteen year old brother close and pushed her head into his chest as she let out equally fearful, quiet sobs. Akira smiled down at her gently and tightened his grip around her back slightly, protectively and raised his free hand to stroke her hair. All the while slowly leading his younger sister to his room. 

When they got there, he gently deposited her on his bed and shut the door, locking it. Neither trusted their father to not barge in and cause some other trouble. Given the chance they both knew he would. 

Akira sat down on his bed next to her and watched her cry. Her hair fell everywhere in a sea of black, just slightly shorter than his own. Sea blue eyes overflowing with tears and cascading down her cheeks, her body still trembling from the fear their father placed in her. Akira hated their father. His gaze turned angry for a moment, then softened when he thought of Mei again. Gently, tenderly he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace that she returned. With one hand he once again stroked her hair and murmured to her. 

"He won't hurt you...he won't hurt you...I won't let him. I'll protect you." 

. . . 

When her tears became dry and her trembles ceased, Akira stood up and she looked up at him with her innocent eyes. He fought a slight blush, but didn't succeed. His younger sister didn't notice. "Mei, you can change into something to sleep in now, I won't watch." He faced the wall and shut his eyes tight, then turned to face her when she said that she was done. 

She stood there in one of his long, baggy white shirts that fell to her knees and the sleeves fell past the tips of her fingers. Mei smiles at him sweetly. "Thanks for letting me borrow a shirt..." 

The young teenage boy put on a wide smile and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "I like you being dressed like that. You look. . ." He drifted off, slightly confused by the emotion he was feeling. _...like you're mine,_ were the unspoken words. He shrugged. Well, it was perfectly normal to think that, right? He was her protector, her guardian, her brother...his expression went from confused to content. Yes, it was perfectly normal to think that. 

Mei tilted her head and looked at him, wondering what he meant. "Oniichan?" She spoke questioningly. Akira shook his head, still smiling. 

"Never mind. Turn around so I can change." He spoke and pulled out a shirt from a drawer in his bereau. Mei had turned away already and so he changed into a simple shirt and boxers. When he turned around to face Mei, she had slipped into his bed and had fallen asleep. 

He chuckled softly and entered the bed gently, so as not to wake his younger sister. "Sweet dreams, Mei." Akira spoke, and closed his own eyes. 

At the new source of warmth in the bed, Mei curled into him and murmured, "Good night, Oniichan." 

. . .   
Gomen for the short chapter! 


	6. Chapter Six

A! Mazing Love!   
by Ranma Inverse ^_^   
_part six_

  


_Author's notes: I Hope i'll get some more reviews for this chapter, thank you those who have been reviewing or have reviewed in the past! And MUCH MORE THANKS to Keisuke, who has flattered me SO MUCH by reviewing every time! ^_^ I'm really sorry this took so long to get out! I know this chapter is kind of short, but I decided to cut it off and not make it longer so I could put it out quicker. Expect A! Mazing Love! Part Seven to come out soon...I hope! ^_^;_

. . . 

_"And I don't know what I'm diving into. . ." - Hanging By A Moment, Lifehouse._   
. . . 

The days after the last were the same, days turned into weeks, weeks to months, months to seasons, seasons to years, three years pass of the repetitiveness of their father occasionally visiting their home, Mei spending nights in Akira's room when she was scared, to find comfort in her older brother. But there was something that happened between these visits that their father never realized. The two who only found comfort in eachother, brother and sister, related by blood, were falling in love. Neither knew that this was what the emotion was, mistaking it for just another feeling of closeness whenever they thought or were near the other, neither could have guessed. 

But once people turn sixteen, they begin to notice things...a lot of things. 

. . . 

"_Akira...Akira..." His sister's gentle voice spoke to him. He turned his head to face where the voice had come from to see her smiling warmly at him, arms open as she walked closer to embrace him..._

"..kira....Akira! Please wake up, there are better ways to spend summer vacation!" 

Akira's eyes opened halfway and looked at his younger sister. "Oh...Mei..." 

"What is it, Oniichan?" Mei smiled at him now that he was awake. "Remembered that you promised to take your sister to the movie theater today?" 

He sat upright in bed immediately. "I forgot!" He lied and began to get out of bed, putting pants and a shirt over his boxers and undershirt. 

A blush tinted Mei's cheeks and she turned her back to him. She touched a hand to one cheek and blinked. Why did she feel so embarrassed? She'd seen her brother in boxers and an undershirt before. She fought the blush down and when she was sure it was back to normal, she turned around only to see him staring at her curiously, two tickets in his left hand. 

Temporarily forgetting the moment before, Mei looked at her brother in half-annoyance, half-happiness. "You said you forgot!" 

"You shouldn't have believed me, now, let's go!" Akira grinned and turned to leave his room, but Mei stopped him with a brush in hand. He laughed at her seriousness and sat down on the bed. "Since you reminded me, why don't _you_ brush my hair?" 

What had made him say that? Akira blinked. Oh well, it wasn't a big deal anyway. 

Her dark ocean blue eyes matched the smile that formed on her lips as she effortlessly began to remove the tangles from his hair, doing her best to keep it painless and suprisingly succeeding most of the time. Akira closed his eyes and relaxed as she brushed gently, humming ever so softly the tune to her favorite song. After awhile, he felt the brushing cease and opened his eyes, standing up. 

"_Now_. Now we're ready to go." Mei looked up at him cheerfully, took his hand and led him to the entrance of their home, stopping so they could put their shoes on and then let him lead on the way to the movie theater. 

As they walked, Akira looked at his sister through the corner of his eyes. Her hair still matched his own, long and silky black, though slightly shorter and neatly kept. Her eyes were a dark shade of ocean blue, unlike his own, being more like the dark midnight blue of the night. 

Meanwhile, Mei was happily embracing the fact that she was going somewhere with her oniichan. When they turned the corner and were nearing the movie theater, Akira looked at her. "What movie do you want to see?" 

"I don't know...how about we pick when we get there?" Mei answered. Akira nodded and they continued. 


	7. Chapter Seven

A! Mazing Love!   
by Ranma Inverse ^_^   
_part seven_

  
  
  
  
  
  


_Author's notes: If anyone can guess what they were watching, i'll give them a little prize(The first one to guess correctly...)! A one-shot romantic fic of the winners choice! (No yaoi, and no yuri! I'm not against them, I'm just not in the mood to write girl/girl, boy/boy stuff lately.) Also...arg! This chapter was too short too! Next update, this will be the later part of chapter six, and there will be a new chapter seven!_   
_. . ._   
_ Notes: Ne? = Right?_   
_. . ._   
_ "Everywhere I look I see her smile..." - Vulnerable, Roxette._   
_. . .___

There had been no movies Mei or Akira had wanted to see, and so they now sat on a couch in front of their T.V. watching an anime Mei had selected from their stash. Tears were threatening to fall out of the female sibling's eyes during one scene. Akira blinked and looked at her as she sniffled. "You okay?" 

"Snff...Who cares if he's his sister! That redheaded man is too...i'm not sure...but he isn't right for her! So what if he seems to be going insane, he might get better if he goes to his sister!" Mei stated and looked at Akira. 

This was sort of breaching an uncomfortable subject...Akira blinked. "Well, remember, she also has...what was it, an angel that's her ancestor that wants to kill him because he's supposedly the man that...raped...her, reborn." 

"So?! He isn't that man, that man is gone unless they bring him out of the poor twin brother...and I know that's what that evil company is trying to do, but still..." 

Akira and Mei stopped talking temporarily as the redheaded man was stabbed in the leg with a sharp piece of a metal door by the poor blonde teenager they were talking about, and watched as tears began to fall from the boy's eyes as he told the redheaded man to go on and that he would stay there. 

Tears fell from Mei's eyes. "That's not fair~! He deserves happiness too..." 

"At least he loves his sister enough to stay there, thinking that she wouldn't want him in an unbrotherly way, or that he might harm her. Remember, the guy they're trying to bring out of him wants her other form. That angel..the ten...ten-thingy." 

"I forgot what it was called too..." She sniffled. 

The raven haired teenage boy stood up and grinned at his sister. "What would you like for dinner? I'll cook for once." 

That got his sister to jump up from the couch immediately. "Let's do it together, then! You're not...well, that good of a cook..." she drifted off slowly, realizing she spoke an insult. "I'm sorry!" 

It brought out a laugh from Akira, who was already walking into the kitchen. "If you don't hurry up, I'm going to have to start without you. Don't want to have to eat a burnt meal, ne?" 

A worried sound from his sister's lips at the fact that he might be serious, and her hurried footsteps were the sounds he heard in reply. 

. . . 

"What now?" 

"Put it in the oven for a half an hour and then dinner will be done!" Mei said cheerfully and attempted to untie her apron while her brother followed her instructions, but found herself getting it into a knot instead. She blushed at her clumsiness and fumbled around more, only to make it harder to undo. "Uhm..." 

Akira blinked as he put his own apron up in the cupboard where they kept things like that after he finished folding it and turned around as he shut the cupboard door. "Hm? What's wrong?" 

Mei's blush darkened and she stared at her feet. "I can't untie my apron...could you...help me?" 

Her elder brother laughed and walked behind her before removing her own fumbling hands from the knot and attempted to do it himself. After a few minutes, it loosened and the rest went easily. Akira turned her around to face him and grinned. "You may be the best at academics, you may be the best at cooking, but you will _never_, ever, be better than me in getting knots undone." 

It was her own turn to laugh and the redness in her cheeks soon left. She smiled. _If Only...___

_ If only days like these could last for ever...___

Akira blinked at her gentle smiling expression and began to lose himself in those blue eyes... 

_If only we weren't siblings...___

Mei turned away from Akira at the sudden thought, the suprise from feeling that way being a bit too much to face Akira right now. She tried to look calm as she smiled and went to her room. 

"Well, I've got a test to study for tomorrow...I'll be in my room. G'night." 

He smiled and went to his own room, only to instead sleep. 


End file.
